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Sep 08, 2020
Hormonal Weight Gain aka The Bio-Dome Effect
Remember the movie Bio-Dome? The premise was that two fools enter a closed, ecological system and completely throw it out of balance by bringing in junk food and using up valuable resources. What ensues is an entire year of clean up, working with scientists to put the system back in order, dealing with a lack of resources and healing the damage they had previously dealt.
So, what does this 90’s comedy have to do with you?
The Balancing Act
Your body is a Bio-Dome; a complex interwoven system of biological factors that work in tandem to help keep you alive. What’s truly amazing is that our bodies are designed to adapt to almost any challenge and continue to survive. That’s a good thing as each day we’re subjected to thousands of factors that impact our body’s functions and even slowly degrade our overall health. For example, many of the foods you consume on a daily basis are full of chemicals and toxins that damage your metabolism.
Hormone Havoc
But what is the biggest culprit when it comes to throwing off the complex, biological systems that run our bodies? Your Hormones. Specifically, cortisol, insulin, thyroid, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Any of these hormones can become imbalanced and when they do, they completely derail the homeostasis (the internal balance) of your body.
Why, How and When Do These Imbalances Happen?
Stress: (Real or perceived) throws the body into panic mode, causing cortisol to be released into the bloodstream. Cortisol raises blood sugar and breaks down fat for energy. This reaction is one of those amazing, life-saving adaptations we talked about earlier. However, nowadays our bodies are subjected to constant, prolonged periods of stress from increasing workloads to a vast array of daily annoyances. This leads to continuously high levels of cortisol, excess calorie intake and in the end, a resistance to insulin which we now know leads to pounds of fat easily stored in your body.
Thyroid Production: Thyroid is the hormone that regulates the metabolism of every cell in the body. When the thyroid gland isn’t producing enough, the condition is called Hypothyroidism and many women over the age of 60 are prime candidates for this condition. In addition to slowing most bodily functions, symptoms of Hypothyroidism can include fatigue, hair loss, sluggishness, weight gain and increased difficulty losing weight.
Aging: As men and women age, testosterone levels decrease, leading to a loss of muscle and bone, accumulation of belly fat and decreased metabolism. For women, if estrogen is not in correct balance with other hormones in the body (primarily progesterone), rapid weight gain can also occur. Aside from gaining pounds around the abdomen, hips and thighs, other signs of estrogen excess are water retention and abdominal bloating. Thankfully, progesterone helps the body utilize and eliminate fat and increases metabolism. But, increased progesterone relative to estrogen can also lead to an increased appetite and fat storage.
Healing the System
The good news is, we’re the scientists that have come to help you clean up your Bio-Dome! Our SlimGenic Direct Weight Loss Programs are built on scientifically-proven principles that help address these different factors of weight gain. Our programs help to detox your body, kickstart your metabolism and put your system back on track. As such, weight-related hormones are a huge focus of the process.
We’d like to share a few tips to help bring you back to balance:
Get Your Hormone Levels Checked
If you’re experiencing some or any of the symptoms listed above, make an appointment with your local care provider. Getting your levels checked is a quick and easy way to identify or confirm a hormonal imbalance.
Reduce Stress
Take a few moments each day to de-stress. Try different breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and meditation. Remove factors from your life that don’t bring you happiness and cut out as much negativity as possible. Less stress means less weight gain.
Be More Active for 20 Minutes A Day
Healthy activity levels can stimulate healthy hormone production. Not only will you get the ol’ cardiovascular system up and going, but you’ll also be sending signals to your body to work efficiently from the inside out.
Limit Carbohydrate Intake
Our SlimGenics Direct Weight Loss Programs create a balanced level of carbohydrates for each individual to help halt the overproduction of insulin and help manage hormonal reaction to overstimulation.
Take a Probiotic
The easiest way to start battling hormonal imbalances is by getting your gut in order. There’s a lot of probiotics out there, but we recommend Slim-Guardian™ Multi-Probiotics for nutraceutical-grade digestive support.
Nutrient Absorption
Improper nutrient absorption can be a silent contributor to hormone imbalance. Utilize Slim-Assure™ Digestive Enzymes to ensure optimal digestion of macro-nutrients and help neutralize toxins in the body.
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Additional Reading
- Smith, P., “Why you can’t lose weight: why it’s so hard to shed pounds and what you can do about it.” Garden City Park, NY: Square One Publishers, 2011
- Smith, P., “What You Must Know about Women’s Hormones,” Garden City Park, NY: Square One Publishers, 2010
- Epel, E, et al., “Can stress reshape your body? Consistently grater stress-induced cortisol secretion among women with abdominal fat” Psychosomatic Med 2000; (62):623-632
- Brownstein, D., “Overcoming Thyroid Disorders.” West Bloomfield, MI: Medical Alternatives Press, 2002
- Kalkoff, R, et al., “Metabolic Effects of Progesterone “Journal Obstetrics Gynecology, 1982: 142-146
- Vliet, E., “Women, Weight and Hormones.” New York: M. Evans & Company, 2001
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